Software and computer systems installed in the field can often break down due to software bugs or configuration problems. A service team may have to send a service technician to the site to diagnose and fix the problem. However, on-site service calls can be costly. It may be easier and less expensive to replicate the in-field computer system on a local test system.
Replicating the in-field computer system may be difficult especially if the configuration is complex or the in-field computer is remote. Many computer systems have multiple software products and software patches installed. The software products and software patches may be configured improperly, may be incompatible with each other, or may contain bugs. To complicate things further, each software product and software patch may have more than one version. To properly replicate the in-field system and properly diagnose the problem, a technician may have to install the correct version of each software product and software patch on a test computer system. Additionally, the software products and patches may require a specific order of installation. Also, the correct software product and patch installations may not be available for installation; they may exist only in the form of un-compiled source code.
Replicating an in-field computer system by manually installing software products and patches on a test system is costly, time consuming, and error prone. A system that automatically replicates an in-field computer system may reduce the cost, time, and error associated with diagnosing problems with the in-field computer system.